Wednesday, January 30, 2008

When a Businessman talks like a Politician:

Industry body Chamber of commerce Assocham has suggested that central government and state governments should develop SEZs in trouble-torn and Naxal-hit areas of the country where problems like insurgency and youth unrest exists.

Assocham President Venugopal Dhoot, in a letter addressed to the central and state governments said: "SEZs could be used as a tool to address issues like insurgency."

It suggested that Special Economic Zones should be set up in areas like Assam,Chambal valley and Naxal-hit Telangana,Jharkhand and West Bengal.

When a Businessman becomes a Politician:

In the wake of stiff opposition from farmers, the Maharashtra government may be forced to cancel the proposed 4,500 acres special economic zone (SEZ) proposed by the Videocon Group, at Wagholi near Pune

Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), the nodal agency for this project, has put on hold the land acquisition process and the state government is expected to announce a final decision within three weeks.

The SEZ project has remained under scanner right from the initial stages. The MIDC had initiated the land acquisition process for this SEZ in four villages namely Wagholi, Kesnand, Bakori and Loni Kand, located along Pune-Auragabad highway early this year.

Farmers, who were against forceful land acquisition for SEZ, had then beaten up two Videocon officials and an official from Pune district administration. The farmers stuck to their stand and steadfastly opposed the SEZ proposal at various levels.

When contacted, Videocon CEO Venugopal Dhoot asserted that the SEZ project is very much 'on'. "The discussion over government scrapping the SEZ is baseless. Hence, I just do not want to react to rumours," Dhoot stated.Videocon's Wagholi SEZ may be scrapped

Who is talking? A Politician or a Businessman!

The MIDC’s land acquisition for Videocon’s proposed 2009-acre SEZ at Wagholi has come to a halt.

This follows the intervention of Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who said the decision is in line with a directive of the central government committee, which says that no state agency will acquire land for any private company.

Mr Pawar told the farmers’ meet that the Union government had formed a committee under him to look into the issue of farm lands being taken over for private companies. This committee has issued directives that governments should not use their land acquisition policy to acquire land for any private company.

“The Union government has accepted the directive. Henceforth, a government agency will only acquire land needed for social infrastructure like schools, hospitals, roads. A private company will have to work in its own capacity to acquire any land it needs. We have also instructed MIDC to de-notify the lands that it acquired at Wagholi, Bakori, Lonikand and Kesnand villages,” he said.

Mr Pawar cautioned farmers against selling off their lands to private builders once government acquisition stops. Instead, he suggested they follow the Magarpatta City model. Stressing on this model, Mr Pawar said: “Nothing will be left for the next generation if farmers sell off their lands. Instead, farmers should pool their lands and lease it out to companies. This will give them a long-term returns rather than a lumpsum income from their holdings.”

However, the minister was informed that more than 50% of the lands in village have already been sold off.-The Economic Times

Related Stories:1. Mahamumbai SEZ: promoted by Reliance:The union commerce ministry on Thursday told the Maharashtra government that no land acquisition for SEZs shall be completed till farmers “willingly withdraw their objections” or “give consent to the compensation package” offered by developers.

The clarification, in response to a query from the Maharashtra government, puts paid to all plans for forcible land acquisition anywhere in the country for any SEZ. Specifically, in Maharashtra, this development puts the brakes on the state government’s plan to commence acquisition of land on Friday in 29 villages of Raigad district for the Mahamumbai SEZ being promoted by Reliance.

The plan was to acquire land under Section 6 (1) of the Land Acquisition Act 1894. Specifically, the clarification from the Centre means that the state can still go ahead with the formalities involved in the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, but cannot complete the actual process of transfer to the SEZ developer, without getting the farmers’ consent.SEZ developers need to win farmers’ trust

The company plans to complete this project in 15 months and get the serviced apartments operational by 1st May 2009.

The serviced apartments will be managed by Kolte-Patil through a company namely Lilac Hospitality floated in collaboration with a UK based hotel chain.

With an average room tariff of Rs.7000 per night and projected occupancy of 70%initially, increased to 90% in subsequent years, the company expects to break even in 3-4 years, with an expected revenue of Rs.18 cr. p.a.

While Speaking about the launch of Green OliveMr. Girish Lakhe, CFO, said "Today Rajiv Gandhi IT park has a requirement of more than 1000 hotel rooms per day. With 'Green Olive', Kolte Patil Developers plan to tap this market by providing facilities that meet the requirement of today's business travelers, IT companies and software engineers"

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c79829) has announced the addition of Analyzing the Booming Growth of Malls in India 2008 to their offering.

The highlight of the report is a special mall profiles section from each region of the country, namely North, West & Central, East, and South India. These profiles contain valuable information such as location details of the mall, the status of the mall, operational dates, land area, mall space, number of floors, gross leasable area, leased/sold space ratio, leasing agents/companies, rental models in use, food court area (wherever applicable), services area, number of escalators and lifts in the mall, catchment area, other shopping centers/malls within 6 km radius, tenant mix, anchor brands, and much more in-depth data is provided for each mall discussed in the profiles.

The Foundation Stone laying ceremony will be performed by Mr. V. S. Achutanandan, the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Kerala on 19th January, 2008. HDIL has planned to invest Rs.4000 Crores in this project over a period of 48 months (4 years).

"By constructing HDIL CYBERCITY at Kalamassery in Kochi, we propose, not only to create a world class IT Hub in Kerala, but also to provide 60,000 direct and 1,50,000 indirect jobs at Kochi. This is our small and humble gift to the people and the State of Kerala" said Mr. Rakesh Kumar Wadhawan, Chairman, Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd.

HDIL CYBERCITY which has a built up area of 80 lakh sq. ft. in Kalamassery, Kochi, is the first flagship IT project of the company in Kochi. It is also the first and the only integrated IT Township in Kerala.

This mega-city of 70 acres area has been developed into various zones of Residential, IT, Commercial, Hotel, Social, and Infrastructure amenities according to their internal relationships to each other and keeping in mind the natural flow of spaces.

Besides providing 60,000 direct and 1,50,000 indirect jobs to the people of Kochi, the project will also generate over Rs.425 Crores of Revenue for the Government of Kerala by way of Stamp and Registration duty and Employee Welfare and Village Tax.

Kochi has been ranked as the second most favoured IT & ITES destination by NASSCOM and is a bustling industrial centre with industries ranging from ship building to handicrafts and petro-chemical, refining to spice trading.

Some of the top IT companies across India have plans to set up campus in Kochi in next 3-5 years. NASSCOM has projected about 5 lakh IT/ITES job opportunities in Kerala.

About HDIL:

Housing Development and Infrastructure Ltd. (HDIL) was promoted by late Shri Rajesh Kumar Wadhawan, who was the Chairman & Managing Director of Dewan Housing Finance Limited (DHFL).

HDIL is a listed and one of the largest Real Estate development companies in India. It is the flagship construction and Real Estate Development company of Wadhawan Group.

HDIL has a market capitalization of over Rs.25,000 crores with its significant presence in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Palghar, Pune, Hyderabad & Kochi.

The company has over three decades of experience in the Real Estate business and has developed over 73 million sq. ft. area. The company, as on 30th September, 2007, has a total land reserve of 125 million sq. ft.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

rssHugger brings blogger and readers closer!

I myself prefer to subscribe and read RSS but i never paid much attention to RSS feeds of my blogs. My focus was always search engines. Yes, you all know, i am mostly on the first or second page of all three major search engines, Google, Yahoo and MSN-Live search. Because i am on the top pages, it becomes easy for you to find my blog, read and subscribe to RSS of my blogs.

Yes! Now you can find my blog on rssHugger!

Day by day, according to Robin Good, more people are preferring RSS newsreaders and aggregators to read the blogs of their choice. And rssHugger is the best place to find the blogs on the topic of your choice - internet marketing, making money online, charity, sports and of course, real estate! Because rssHuger makes it very easy to find the blogs on the topic of your interest and subscribe to it. Please, do visit "rssHugger"!

What people are searching on Google?

I am sharing this search "Property for Sale Kolhapur" with you because, i am sure, this will give you some idea about what people are interested in real estate. Here you may find a tip about something you were not aware about. This tip might help you to take some profitable decision, who knows!

Suraj Estate Developers The M/s.Suraj Estate Developers has established a distinct presence in the Construction Industry in Kolhapur over a span of 15 years. It has to its credit construction of both residential and commerical premises and these have been acknowledged as value products in terms of quality, aesthetics, over all planning, finishing and timely possession.

Presently, the M/s.Suraj Estate Developers has 3 ongoing projects in different parts of Kolhapur.Each project has been aesthetically planned with unique architecture and scientific design by renowned architects.

Ghatge DevelopmentsThe company was established in the year 1991 By Pravinsinh Ghatge in the city of Kolhapur, Ghatge Developments strives to achieve excellence in the field of construction and real estate. Since its inception Ghatge Developments has given true value and quality to its clients. Always Innovative in introducing new trends.

Tirth DevelopersA rising name and the most the trusted real estate developers In Kolhapur, Maharashtra, creating atmosphere of serenity, be it residential commercial or recreational construction of the quality we sow, we reap since out journey started way back in 1994, we, Tirth Developers, never compromised for quality, strength, safety and satisfaction is what we streamed upon. We need not sing our praise song, for our buildings dotting the skyline of Kolhapur speak for themselves.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

What people are searching on Google?

I am sharing these search terms with you because, i am sure, this will give you some idea about what people are interested in Pune and Indian real estate market. Here you may find a tip about something you were not aware about. This tip might help you to take some profitable decision, who knows!

Those who are interested in buying real estate at Alibag and neighborhood...onesmartclick.com

Mumbai hotshots surf Alibaug’s property wave:Corporate India is descending on Alibaug for a different reason. The holiday spot, famous for its pristine beaches and a half-hour ferryride from Mumbai is witnessing brisk land deals by the city’s affluent names.propertybytes.com

Vrindavan residency: is about 1.5 kms. from Alibaug S. T. Stand, although the location is close to the civilization, it is far from hustle and bustle of the city... Very near to the District Sports Club, Vrindavan Residency is well equipped with playground for children and jogging park. Vrindavan Residency is in close vicinity of an upcoming International Health Resort and an Educational Complex... Exculsive 2/3 BHK twin and Independent spacious Bungalows here means an investment for generations to enjoy.Magicbricks.com

Alibaug Vs. Pawna & Maval:As a matter of comparison, Alibag, in the recent few months, has become a hot destination for investors and second home buyers from Mumbai. Pawna & Mulshi enjoy several advantages over Alibag as a second home destination but property here is still available, on average, at a fourth of the prices prevailing in Alibag.trinityproperties.inFor more search results, please, visit:- Google Search

At PBAP exhibition, i found myself asking "Where is Wagholi?" again and again, which was not at all on my list of questions to ask.

I asked myself "Why i am asking this question, Where is Wagholi?, again and again?""Because the girls at the stalls were pretty" I answered to myself. In my earlier job it was a tradition to ask the beauty of the office,"Will you, please, come with me to Wagholi?" before "Aati Kya Khandala?" became famous.

"I did not know what to ask after i asked about the property rate." was my second answer.

"When you know location is Wagholi, there was no point in asking my number 1 question "Is flat "in" ready possession?"" was my third answer.

"I liked the answer! Every sweet girl was referring to Viman Nagar." was my fourth answer. But 'Viman Nagar answer' should have been my most important reason to ask "Where is Wagholi?" because when i was in Pune Real Estate advertising i had done a very successful ad campaign "Come home to Viman Nagar" for Lunkad Realty.

If you want to keep your list of most important questions to ask before you book a flat in Pune real estate 'up-to-date', subscribe to my bog. You can subscribe to RSS or you can get an email. It's FREE! There is a link in the side column.

If you are metro sexual male like me or a dynamic female you can join my Google Group. FREE!! There is a link in the side column.

Of course, you can call me anytime. My mobile number is on my Facebook badge in the side column. Please note, i do not charge to talk for first 15 minutes.

Earlier, the PCMC had also asked Tata Motors to pay property tax on their vacant plot. Tata Motors had challenged the decision in the supreme court but lost the case and had to pay Rs 3 crore as property tax. -The Times of India

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Last Sunday morning, while coming back from Sinhgad, i stopped at Khadakwasala Dam. No, not to enjoy the beauty of the sleepy lake. I prefer and enjoy running water,especially when it wakes me in the morning (through the leaky kitchen tap). I stopped because i was too tired to push the peddles of my old bicycle.

After a few minutes of rest, i started wondering about my cycling. Is it wise to get an inspiration from my own blog on "cycle to work"?

Do i truly believe that i do not deserve to eat Kanda-Bhaji because i am not going to Sinhagad after booking a flat at Darode Jog's "Crossover County"?

So many questions means time to ride the cycle, i realized and hit the road again. After crossing Khadakwasala village and the gate of CWPRS, i saw the site of 'Swami Samarth Developers' to the right. Surprisingly, the site office was open. Obviously, i stopped.

"What is your requirement?" asked the person when i was trying to enter the office. Though he was standing at the tea stall next to the office, i understood his question and told him that i was looking for 2 bhk flat for investment purpose. I was confident i was looking high net worth individual because i was in my worst shorts.

"Come on, i will show you the last 2 flats" he said and stared walking. We stood in front of a building whose third slab was cast, may be yesterday. He pointed at the slab and told me it will cost me 20 lakhs. "What is the asking rate?" i asked. "2,000!" "2,000?" "Yes, if you go to the builders' office, he will reduce not more than 35 rupees." he warned me.

I started looking at the completed buildings on both the sides of the under construction building without responding to him. He told me those buildings are 2-3 years old and at that time the rate was 800 rupees. "In 3 years from 800 to 2,000! Why?" i asked him. "Wait a month and the rate will increase more." he said with joy. "Why? What is going to happen in a month?" i asked."Magarpatta is coming in Nanded." he said. "How can Magarpatta come to Nanded? Magarpatta is not on wheels." i tried to be humorous. "What is this place? Is this Nanded?" i asked. "No. This is Kirkatwadi. Nanded is little further down the road." he said and started talking about how every thing is going to change in a few months.

Kirkitwadi! Other day, my dear friend Sachin Kulkarni, M.D. of Vastushodh Developers, was talking about launching his mega township in Kirkatwadi. So i went a little ahead and stopped at Kirkatwadi junction. Sipping tea at the road side stall i tried but couldn't imagine Sachin's silver Mercedes driving down that small kacha-road to the site. No wonder most of the builders visit their sites only once in a while. But where is Nanded? Some one told me to go half a kilometer ahead so i started cycling again.

I crossed a canal and took a turn and saw a board of Jhala and Kodre Associates' "Rajyog". Nearly a kilometer inside down the main road, this is one of the well known project on Sinhagad road. Well known means it's ads were in the news paper all the time.

Impressive main entrance gate, lovely row houses and new white buildings were tempting me to go and inquire about the availability. Obviously, there was no one in the site office. But the site engineer gave me a brochure and said rate is only 2,700 rupees. "Can i get anything in ready possession?" i asked as if i was not hopping to get a ready possession flat. But, we all know, in every scheme ample of ready possession flats are available. "Ready possession at 2,700 rupees is good but not on Sinhagad road." i complained when he said few flats are available.

"Sinhagad road is not cheap anymore. Our neighbor's, Darode Jog's rate is 3,500." he told me very proudly. "Why are you charging less? Is their quality superior than yours?" i asked the site engineer. "No! Quality is the same but their presentation is better. Wait for a month. Our rates are also going to increase." he said proudly."Are you going to improve your presentation or what?" i asked curiously."On 26 January, Magarpatta is launching its 200 acres township in Nanded. After that rates are going to go up on Sinhagad road." he told me the secret. "But why property rates will go up after Magarpatta's launch? Actually, your rates should come down. Who will come to book in your project? Every one will go to Magarpatta. I will be the first one" i told him frankly. I was going to tell him what happened in Baner-Balewadi and Wakad after the launch of the Paranjape Scheme's Blue Ridge.

But the site engineer became a little serious so i said, "Magarpatta is like Reliance Fresh. You know, when Reliance Fresh opens it's store, business of small vegetable stalls goes down" Suddenly, i saw a bright smile on his face. He said,"That's why the owner of this land stopped growing vegetables and became a builder! You do not have to throw away unsold flats like unsold spinach or tomatoes. Booking may slow down but rates will go up. We do not have to worry about our produce becoming stale. We can hold on!"

I asked him about his future plans. Yes, one day he is planning to become a builder. I told him he is going to become a big builder and came on the Sinhagad road to visit Darode Jog's Crossover County.

You are impressed with the sophistication as you enter in the "Crossover County" project site and when you push the big door of the site office you know you are at a premium project.

I always used to admire Darode Jog for their carefully executed single building projects at a prime locations in Pune. Every project used to look like a well groomed, well educated, well mannered gentleman. But now, this 'Crossover County' looks more glamorous and flamboyant.

Trying to accept the change i gave complements about the site office to a pretty sales girl who welcomed me with a sweet smile. "This is our Darode Sir's dream project!" she told me.

"Good! Mr. Darode's dream is becoming expensive day by day." i said looking at the property rate card. I saw rates 3699, 3799, 3774, 3874, 3899 and more rupees per sq ft but could not find 3,500 anywhere. "Wasn't the rate 3200 when the project was launched?" i asked in disbelief."But that was in August! In few days rates will be going up." she said with a smile. "Oh no! Don't worry. We will hold them down and will not let them go up!" i said seriously. "No, our sir increases rates when he feels like increasing! He says this will go up to 5,000 in a month." she confessed. "Why? Your sir dreams about the project or only about the rate?" I questioned her. "Our sir says after Magarapatta is launched on Sinhagad road, rates will go above 5,000!" she said. "But Magarpatta is booking it's last phase and still Maragpatta's rates are less than yours. Today Magarpatta's rate is only 3,500." i said while trying to log on to Magarpatta's website on my mobile."No, but it always actually happens when our sir dreams!" she said faithfully.

I called Magarpatta and asked the first person who took the call, "When are you launching your project on Sinhagad road?" "May be in April! We will post about it on our website!" he said. "Great! Hope you have not decided to launch it on the 1st of April." i said and rode my bicycle. I was one of the few persons who were driving as per the prevailing traffic rules on the Sinhagad road.

Monday, January 7, 2008

“PMC has been conducting the Lokshahi Din only as a formality and few citizens get their grievances addressed. The dissatisfaction of citizens is the main reason for the dip in citizens participation in the Lokshahi Din,” RTI activist Vihar Durve said.

According to the information received under RTI by Durve on Lokshahi Din from PMC, the response to the Lokshahi Din has shown a downward trend, especially, in last three years.

“The response to Lokshahi Din in PMC was at peak in the first few years of its launch in 2000, but now it is decreasing every year,” he said, adding, the first year PMC received 416 complaints in Lokshahi Din and which showed a steady increase initially and reached its peak in 2005 with a total of 956 applications. But after that it was downhill.

“PMC has no record of the grievances addressed and have not received any satisfactory response by any complainant so far which indicates the citizens are not satisfied,” he added.

PMC public relations officer (PRO) Sanjay More said that the PMC makes all possible efforts to address the grievances of citizens made in Lokshahi Din, conducted on first Monday of every month.

“Most of the grievances are related to city engineer’s department and the PMC has started a separate table for it to address the complaints at a faster pace,” he said. “The citizens complaint is not registered if it is already in court and many complaints are related to offices other than PMC.”To read more, please, visit:Lokshahi Din:

Saturday, January 5, 2008

For claiming funds under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) it is compulsory for state governments to form Metropolitan Planning Committees (MPCs) for cities with a population of 30 lakh.

As per the 74th constitutional amendment, the MPCs are expected to prepare and forward the development plan to the government.

The Pune metropolitan region, established in 1967, includes areas under the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations, Khadki and Dehu road cantonments and fringe areas of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

This is a major step towards formation of the much-awaited Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), Pune divisional commissioner Nitin Kareer said. -The Times of India

4. Traffic police will stop toeing cars parked in the NO PARKING zones and instead of that will start charging fine if you drive around the multiplex or mall more than 7 times in an hour searching the parking space.

5. You will be happy to keep your 'Ratan Tata's 1 Lakh Car' parked in your reserved car park at home and cycle to work

First, i will tell him, "Pune, is no more an investment destination." Yes, of course, i will refer to you. Anuj, I have already published your press release on my investment blog! But before i start talking about Nashik, i will try to convince him to invest in the ready possession or almost ready possession flats in Pune.

Yes, i do not mind if i sound dumb. I will take this risk. I feel for all my builder friends who's funds are locked in these projects. At the same time, i owe my readers too. So, it is my duty to explain why investing in the almost ready flats is more profitable and safe.

If caller insists on Pune, I can not jump to Nashik. I have to stop at Nashik phata and talk about Chakan and Talegaon. Anuj, hope you do not mind. Because you know, real estate is local business.